Article: Teacher secrets for writing the perfect personal statement

You can view the page at http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=20237-Teacher-secrets-for-writing-the-perfect-personal-statement

Reply 1

kkboyk

There's a spelling mistake on the link: "secret advice from a sixth form tutuor".

Reply 2

Aph

It's kinda funny how a lot of this is what I was told not to do by my schools UCAS expert. Like talking about the subject is good because you need to show your interest and drive and skills should be interwoven. You should try and be a fairly good all-rounder and weirdly I was told to sound pompous (advice which I didn't take). Although general this is good I would say that there is a lot up for debate and it is highly dependent on the person and uni.

I imagine if a person is really passionate about a subject and likes to talk about their favourite parts then trying to shoehorn a PS together about skills you have would be more likely to see you rejected. So I'm a bit disappointed that "be yourself" isn't up there as if yourself will never be good enough.

Reply 3

Good bloke

A very well-written piece, full of sound of advice. Anyone not following it is a fool.

Reply 4

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by kkboyk

There's a spelling mistake on the link: "secret advice from a sixth form tutuor".

Cheers buddy, fixed that now :top:

Reply 5

returnmigrant

Some of this advice is quite simply, nonsense.

I am an Admissions Tutor at an RG Uni - and we definitely DO look for 'well-rounded applicants' who do other things beyond just studying for A levels. Tell us about your extra-curriculars! It could mean you get an offer!

Do NOT waste your time devising 'paragraphs'. Its a total waste of characters. By the time UCAS has chewed up your PS and spat it down the line to the Universities it is converted into one big block of text. We are intelligent people. We understand word limits. We do not mark anyone down for concise writing and sensible use of space.

Remember, we are looking for interesting students not academic robots. Tell us what you enjoy doing, what you get a kick out of achieving and give us a real idea of what your personality is like. We read endless boring Personal Statements that have clearly been 'coached', over-corrected and have had all 'life' stamped out of them. Please make yours still have some energy and delight, and something worth reading!

Reply 6

Minerva

The advice I've seen and had reported back to me has consistently emphasised that admissions tutors for academic courses have limited interest in extra-curricular activities, with the notable exception of Durham. The fact that Durham now offers the opportunity for their applicants to submit a separate PS, and their stated rationale for doing so, shows they have clearly acknowledged that their approach is different and that writing a PS tailored for Durham's expectations may well not help the applicant elsewhere.

I'd say that 25 years of experience in guiding people in writing their PSs, and seeing the results across a wide range of unis and subjects, qualifies Mrs Kinetta to write what she has. After all, she is not saying 'leave them out entirely'. @returnmigrant is of course entitled to disagree, though I am not clear that s/he has a similar breadth and depth of experience on which to base his/her comments.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 7

username1258398

Original post by returnmigrant

I don't have any interesting extra-curriculars. I can't afford them. If that means you wouldn't give me an offer, your admissions system is crap.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 8

nexttime

Original post by returnmigrant

Can you provide a link to where your university states this? To just assume applicants know this would of course be totally unfair and irresponsible so such a link must of course exist.

Reply 9

nulli tertius

Original post by nexttime

Can you provide a link to where your university states this? To just assume applicants know this would of course be totally unfair and irresponsible so such a link must of course exist.

I am not going to "out" returnmigrant but I think I know who he is or at the very least his university and department. His departmental admissions statement is consistent with his final paragraph.

Reply 10

Illiberal Liberal

Original post by returnmigrant

I am an Admissions Tutor at an RG Uni - and we definitely DO look for 'well-rounded applicants' who do other things beyond just studying for A levels. Tell us about your extra-curriculars! It could mean you get an offer!

Why would their extracurriculars ever be a deciding factor in their application to study a certain course at your university? Surely their passion/interest in/for the course applied for, supplemented with evidence of interest/other relevant skills to the course, would be (read: should be) the only relevant factors in such a decision?